Anchor Line was founded in 1856 as Handysides & Henderson although
Handysides & Co. had owned ships prior to this date. In 1872 the Barrow Steamship
Co. was formed in partnership with the Duke of Devonshire and ships were later
transferred between Anchor Line and Barrow SS Co., but the two companies have
been treated as one for the purposes of this list.

In 1911 Cunard purchased the
whole of the ordinary share capital of Anchor Line and in 1912 a joint service
was formed to India with Brocklebank Line to
be known as Anchor-Brocklebank. In 1916 Anchor-Donaldson Line was incorporated
with Donaldson
Line to operate
services to Canada.

The firm of Anchor Line went into liquidation in 1935,
but extra finance was injected by Runciman Ltd and a new concern, Anchor
Line (1935)
Ltd was formed. Anchor-Donaldson and Anchor-Brocklebank ceased to exist and
Cunard had no connection with the new company. In 1949 United Molasses Co
(Athel Line)
gained a controlling interest in the company and by the following year owned
the whole ordinary share capital.

The transatlantic passenger service ended
in 1956, but in 1960 a new joint Anchor-Cunard service was introduced.
United Molasses
Co.
became a subsidiary of Tate & Lyle in 1965 and Anchor Line was sold to
Runciman & Co., Newcastle and in subsequent years several of Runciman's
Moor Line ships were transferred to Anchor.

The final passenger voyage
to India took place
in 1966. The Currie Line of Leith together with their fleet was acquired
in 1969 and George Gibson, Leith in 1972. Anchor became the shipowning
company for the
group in 1976 and by 1986 all that remained of the company was five liquid
gas carriers, technically owned by Gibson & Co.

Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The
following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all
inclusive list but should only be used as a guide. If you would like to
know more about a vessel, visit the Ship
Descriptions (onsite) or Immigrant
Shipweb site.

1972 taken over with George Gibson & Co., 1972 sold to John
Latsis renamed Petrolgas.

1,144

Eucadia (1)

1946

1963 sold to Transfruit Shipping Co., Piraeus, renamed Ionian,
same year renamed Macedon for same owners. 11th Nov.1964 stranded on
Pigeon Rocks, Ras
Beirut on voyage Houston to Bombay & Chittagong and broke in three parts.